


Abhorsen

by Alyss_Mainwaring



Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Chores, Evil people - Freeform, I can't think of anything else as the fanfic was started two years ago, Witch - Freeform, good people taken over by evil people, insane, mission
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-03-04 17:52:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 13,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3077456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alyss_Mainwaring/pseuds/Alyss_Mainwaring
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will has been declared insane, Alyss is gone, Pauline is looking after their children. Halt's on a mission with Horace to prove that Will actually is sane and Gil has decided to go visit Will. How is this all going to right itself eventually like everything else has? That's the problem, no one knows...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was started over two years ago so it might be rather rough. Just a warning. And it has all of the original notes and whatnot (aka. spelling mistakes)

\- 'You have to believe me!' (Will) cried in exasperation.

'How can we? What you're saying is ridiculous,' Halt replied.

'But still!' Will said.

'I think you are just upset over what happened to her,' Crowley came in, an expression of sorrow and comfort residing on his face.

'I know what I saw,' Will tried to argue but he could see that his friends were unrelenting.

'Will,' Halt started, but Will had, had enough of this argument. He stood up and left the room.

Crowley put his head in his hands. He knew what was required of him but he didn't want to do it. He looked over to see how Halt was coping with the recent events

Halt looked up and met his eye. 'Please don't,' he said, begged.

'I have to Halt,' Crowley said. 'There is no choice in this.

'I have to test if he has gone insane.'


	2. Chapter 2

Halt sighed and ran his finger through his hair once more. Crowley had denied giving him access to inside the room where Will was with the excuse that he didn't want anything to influence what Will would say.

Halt had yelled and done everything he could to get Crowley to let him in but nothing had worked. Giving up his worrying with a sigh, Halt slid down the wall closest to him.What if he is considered insane? Where will his children go? And soon after what happened to their mother as well! Where are they going to keep him? Normally a close family member does it but who is there with the time and patience? Halt continued to ask himself these and similar questions as the day wore on. Suddenly he growled and left the room. Crowley was going to pay. He was going to prove that Will wasn't insane and then rub it in Crowley's face...

Hard.

12345678910

Crowley didn't even look up when Halt stormed into his office.

'No you can't go and double check that Will hasn't gone insane, someone else is already doing it,' he said, still trying to decode what he was looking at.

'Who did you send?' Halt demanded from him.

'Marvin,' Crowley said.

'Him! He's bloody insane already!' Halt yelled.

'There hasn't been any proof though...' Crowley said. 'Go it!' he then yelled and jumped up out of his chair and then sat back down again.

'You don't care about this at all do you? You just lost one of your best Rangers, THE best shooter of us all and you are sitting here not caring in the slightest!' Halt yelled and slammed his oak leaf down onto Crowley's table.

'I respect your judgment but this is the second time I have had to do this... See you when I get back,' Halt said and walked out, already planning how he was going to break it to Lady Pauline that he was leaving her alone with Will's children whilst he went off to search for some mysterious thing that most likely didn't exist.

Maybe he should ask Horace if he wanted to come along...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marvin is in honour of Towel day today...
> 
> I need a beta for this... I want to go through the site though... not email. As I am having slight difficulty using the apple I have to do this on fanfiction
> 
> The odd thing in the middle is a page break :) My normal one didn't save.
> 
> Alyss Mainwaring


	3. Chapter 3

Halt and Horace (who had agreed to come along without a second thought) raced quietly through the corridors of the Castle Araluen. Halt slowed slightly seeing King Duncan ahead, but Horace didn't.  
'What's happening?' he asked.

Horace paused for a moment and managed to get out, 'Have to go and see something,' he said and then ran passed. Halt took a second to realise what had just happened and then shrugged.

'See you later!' he called out to his friend. King Duncan just let him past and didn't think anything else of it.

'Stop Halt!' Crowley called out and Duncan reached to grab the end of Halt's cloak. His fingers just slipped through though and Crowley swore out loud.

'And that's why I stay with rangers,' Duncan said.

'Why?' Crowley asked, still thinking about how he was going to trap Halt.

'Because everyone else refuses to us anything but the proper etiquette around me and yet you all are ok with swearing near me,' he said happily.

'Sure,' Crowley replied distracted. '' Can I put some guards at the gates to stop them?'

'Go for it!' Duncan said and walked away still in a happy mood.

Halt raced down to Abelard and quickly saddled him before he saddled Kicker. Horace was quickly getting what he needed for such a tip as it looked like this was going to be, Halt naturally had already packed because he had known in some small pat of his mind that it would come to this.

Two minutes before he had expected him to come, Horace came running around the door to the stable carrying two bags. He expertly flung them onto Kicker and then got on. He looked to Halt to find him already on Abelard.

'Someone, I'm assuming Crowley has sent people to block off the front gate,' he said, slightly out of breath.

'We should go then,' Halt said and the two of them started to gallop to the gate.

12345678910

Just as two of them reached the gate, it slammed closed. Horace swore but the gate closing didn't ruin Halt's plans in the slightest.

Halt turned Abelard around and headed him off to the stables again.

'We're going to give up like that?' Horace asked.

'Whoever said I was giving up?' Halt smirked back.


	4. Chapter 4

Halt quickly went back to the stables, but instead of where Horace though he was going to go, he went around to the back.

'What are we going here?' Horace asked.

'What do you think?' Halt replied and didn't say anymore, no matter how much Horace kept on pestering him, he didn't say anything.

Suddenly, Halt pushed something and the whole of the back the the stable room swung open and he led his horse into the tunnel. Horace hesitated before going in after Halt.

'There are only huge man eating spiders down here and anyway, I think you could take care of anything bigger,' Halt explained.

'Good to see the amount of confidence you have with me,' Horace said and went into the tunnel as well.

Halt just smiled grimly.

123456789

Crowley swore as he walked down the corridor. The idiot Marvin had just come in and had tested positive for being insane, without even mentioning anything that Will did.

(And they were now down three Rangers and the next lot didn't come through for three years.)

He stopped and looked at the wall next to him. For a little while, Crowley contemplated punching it, but then he decided against it. Instead he banged his head against it.

I wont send anyone else, Crowley thought. I can't risk losing any more Rangers right now.

As it was he would already have to reorganise where some of them were stationed.

It was time for an emergency meeting.

123456789

Pauline looked away from her group of new apprentices. Most of them would drop out in the next few weeks and some of them would be told to drop out. But that wasn't what was bothering her.

Somewhere inside of her, the six sense that she seemed to posses was yelling at her that Halt had just done something extremely stupid. And there was no way of know what it was until everything had all blown over.

Or she got a letter from Will or Crowley.


	5. Chapter 5

'When are we stopping to eat?' Horace asked for what must have been the twenty millionth time that hour.

Halt had even given up on trying to answer him, instead he just remained silent.

'Halt,' Horace said looking a head towards the crossroads that was coming up. Halt continued ignoring him.

'Halt!' Horace tried again. Halt still didn't respond.

'There is someone lying in the middle of the road chopped in half,' Horace added. After hearing this, Halt said up in his saddle and swore.

Once he saw that Horace was right, he swore again, just for good measure.

123456789

Crowley nodded to the Rangers who were already set up as he rode into the gathering ground. Their faces were serious and his was no different.

Eventually he made it to his position and ran straight into Gilan who was standing there in his way.

'You'll hear once everyone else does,' Crowley grunted at him. Gil didn't move.

'Where's Will and Halt?' he asked.

'Not here,' Crowley replied.

'Obviously,' Gilan said. 'Where are they?'

'Gone,' Crowley said and shoved the younger Ranger out of his way and started to set up camp.

Gilan frowned. Will and Halt were both meant to be at castle Araluen talking to Crowley, why hadn't they came with him. Unless they knew already what the meeting was for? But the commander's replies to his questions had gotten shorter and shorter.

What was happening?

123456789

The new apprentices were failing. All of them.

And not just failing. They were majorly failing in the biggest way that an apprentice could fail.

Lady Pauline gave an unladylike groan and pushed the marks from the apprentices latest grade away from her.

Where's Halt when I need him, she thought. If I asked him what I could do about this he would tell me that to make them all pay attention more I could throw them into the local lake.

As wrong as that is, that is actually an appealing thought right now, she continued.


	6. Chapter 6

As they came closer to the body, Halt and Horace could see that the person, they couldn't tell if it was a girl or a boy, had been burnt recently and was cut in half at the waist. One side was lying in the middle of one way at the crossroads and the other, on the other side.

Halt pulled a face as he was examining it. 'I hate it when I find things like this,' he said and pulled away from it.

'At least it doesn't smell yet,' Horace added.

'True,' Halt said. He started looking around. It wouldn't do for a passer by to spot them with the body, just as it wouldn't do for them to leave the body where it was and then some report it to who ever was in charge around here.

'Turns you off your food doesn't it,' Horace said. Halt raised one eyebrow and then started dragging the remains off the road.

'Get the other half and bring it here,' he ordered Horace who pulled a face.

'As it turns out, it does smell when you are up close to it,' Horace complained.

'Yep,' added Halt. 'Hurry up. Before someone comes!'

123456789

That night around the camp fire, the Rangers were sitting there drinking coffee and talking. They were all quite happy and cheerful.

Until Crowley stood up. (Just saying, who isn't happy until Crowley turns up?)

Slowly everyone realised that he was waiting and stopped talking, giving him, their total attention.

'Recently,' he started. 'We lost two Rangers to insanity. Determined, another has gone to prove that at least one of them isn't insane.'

Confused faces turned to other confused faces. Quickly, all of the rangers did a head count and then worked out who was missing.

'Marvin was crazy from the start!' someone yelled. Quite a few people agreed.

'But Will?' Crowley found himself responding.

The whole group froze.

'I want no one else walking that path. This is too dangerous for any lone ranger to attempt to master alone. Whilst we are here I will be judging who is most suited for the journey and then trying to re-shuffle the rest of you so that those with more experience have at most, two fiefs to look over.

He nodded and left to go and think things over in his tent.

123456789

Lady Pauline, there is a messenger waiting for you down at the stables,' one of her more accomplished students said.

Pauline nodded. 'Thank you,' she told the woman and stood up to go and greet this mysterious messenger.

When she got down to the stables, she found the messenger brushing his horse down. As soon as he saw her approaching, he bowed and handed her a note.

She looked down at it and swore. She knew nothing about how to look after little children. A couple of hours yes, but weeks?


	7. Chapter 7

'I think someone will notice,' Horace told Halt, who just gave him a death glare.

'It's the best we had time to do,' Halt replied. 'The local Ranger is not that far away from here, we can go and alert him and then continue on our journey.'

Horace nodded and then called kicker over to him. The horse nudged his shoulder and then started walking off again. Getting frustrated, Horace walked over to Kicker and then looked around. Kicker had led him to a high point where there was aclearing in the trees, and then nudged his head with his own to look out over to the town.

Horace swore.

No one in the town was going to miss this person. It looked as though this person was the last person in the two.

! #$%^&*() ! #$%^&*() ! #$%^&*()

All of the Rangers around the fire started muttering to the one next to them, trying to make sense of all of the information they had gotten.

Gil however didn't talk to anyone, just sat there in his own shock. Could it be? Was it true? What was the actual truth from Will?

Where was Will?

Deciding that his last question was the one that he wanted answered the most, he stormed over to the commander tent and then pushed it open.

Gilan was determined to get the answers he wanted.

! #$%&*() ! #$%^&*() ! $%^&*()

'Horsey!' the oldest of Will's children yelled out upon seeing Tug. In response the "horsey" snorted at the three children.

And then at Pauline.

'I know, but they were missing their father and I thought them playing with you would make it slightly better,' Pauline replied.

Where is Will? Tug seemed to say.

So they can talk, Pauline thought before replying. 'I don't know Tug.'

'Grandma?' little (Will's daughter) asked.

'Yes,' Pauline replied.

'Where's Daddy?' she asked innocently.

'Out,' Pauline said simply.


	8. Chapter 8

Halt and Horace jumped on their horses and rode down to the blackened mass.

They wandered around the once town with wide eyes. Nothing that could have been used for any importance had been set on fire, including the cattle.

All of a sudden, Kicker lost control and started rearing. Horace tried to stay on his once placid horse, but his horse would not calm down.

Letting out a word that Horace had only ever heard Will use once, he fell off Kicker and hit the ground with a dull thud.

'That sounded like it hurt,' Halt muttered to Horace. The younger man just groaned. 'The one hundred and one tons of armor helped that,' Horace replied and then sat up. Halt just shook his head in frustration and got off Abelard.

He hauled Horace off the ground so fast that the knight stumbled forward a bit before regaining his balance.

'Thanks, Halt,' he said sarcastically.

'Just don't do it again,' Halt replied as though he had never heard the sarcasm lacing his voice. The two men looked over to where Kicker and Abelard were. Kicker was still dancing around, obviously distressed and Abelard was trying to calm him down.

'What the hell is wrong with him?' Halt asked Horace who just shrugged in return. They stood there watching for a moment before he replied.

'I have no clue, he has never acted this way before,' he said. Both of them continued to watch as Abelard obviously gave up with trying to calm the other horse down. The horse walked over to them. He nudged Halt's shoulder and upon getting no response, bit it.

'What was that for?' Halt asked his horse. Abelard snorted, sending huge amounts of horse spit into Halt's hair.

'Thanks,' Horace said, wiping the small amount that hit him out of his eye. Horace could have sworn blind that the horse had just grinned.

Suddenly, just as fast as it had started, Kicker stopped dancing around and he walked over to Horace.

Halt frowned and looked over Kicker, making sure that there were no pieces of leaf or branch under the saddle causing him to go crazy. Once he had found nothing there, Halt shook his head and moved away.

'Your guess is as good as mine,' he told Horace and then mounted Abelard. 'But I think this is our cue to go and try to find the ranger of this place. '

! #$%^&*() ! #$%^&*() ! #$%^&*()

'Whatever questions you have I am not answering them,' Crowley said as Gil thudded into the tent.

'Why not?' Gil asked.

'Because I don't particularly want to,' Crowley replied.

'But you have already answered one of my questions, why not answer any more?' Gil snapped back. Crowley froze. He knew that he had been put into a tight spot and he frowned.

'Hit me with them,' he said. 'One at a time though,' aware that Gil was going to try and fire them off at sixty-six miles per hour. Or should I say a couple of kilometers, considering this is an Australian series and all...

'Where is he?' Gil asked.

'Where is who?' Crowley replied, trying to avoid as many questions as possible.

'You know,' growled Gil in return.

'He has rooms in castle Araluen where food and everything else he might need is brought to him.'

'What did Will say to be classed as insane?'

'He insisted that magic is real and that there is a practicer about to take over Araluen.'

'Did you even send anyone to see if he was right?'

'I sent Marvin.'

'He's crazy already!' Gil said and stormed out of the tent. He needed time to calm down again before he had to deal with everyone again.

He walked over to the target range, all the apprentices that were there ran off upon seeing the anger present in his whole body and he started throwing his knives at the targets. Gilan never hit anything other than the bulls-eye. After a little time doing this (actually two hours) he made the decision to seek Crowley out again.

The commandant of the Rangers was just where he had been left, in his tent working on some paperwork.

'I want to go and see him,' Gil told Crowley.

'I can't let you,' he replied and looked up to face Gil.

'Just give me one month off, let me go see him. I promise not to go crazy as well,' Gil pleaded and Crowley relented.

'One month starting from tomorrow,' Crowley said and Gilan knew that he had just been dismissed.

Once he was outside, he was ambushed by almost all of the other Rangers.

'What's the news about Will?' the closest Ranger asked.

'He is in Castle Araluen and the other person who was labeled as insane was Marvin,' Gil said.

'He was already bloody insane,' Ranger 34, George, commented darkly.

'Now tell us something that we don't already know,' replied his twin Ranger 35, René. They were the only twins that the corps had ever had and they often went on missions together, working well.

'I'm going to see how crazy he really is, or if he is just knocked slightly off kilter,' Gilan told the group around him. They all nodded.

'Try and bring him back sane, although with what happened to his wife it would make sense if it never happened,' someone, Gil didn't catch who, said.

'But for now, let's eat!' George said and the whole group sat down to eat some slop.

! #$%^&*() ! #$%^&*() ! #$%^&*()

Pauline sighed and removed the child hanging off her arm. Will's son started cry and she was forced to pick him up again.

Suddenly she was hit with a brilliant idea to keep them entertained.

'How old are you?' she asked the little boy who had stopped crying as soon as she had picked him up.

'Thwee,' he said in the way that children have.

'I think that means that you are big enough to start learning how to count,' she told him.

'Like a big boy?' he replied.

'Exactly like a big boy,' she grinned.


	9. Chapter 9

The two men rode down into the local forrest and past many trees that made Horace wonder how Halt could remember the way to the small cabin.

Suddenly, Halt got off Abelard and made a sign to Horace that he should do the same. Silently, the younger man complied.

You stay, I'll continue, Halt signed. For a second Horace disagreed but then he saw the logic in the idea. halt would be able to get a lot closer and if this ranger was a rouge, then they needed as much information as they could get.

A couple of seconds later Halt disappeared into the trees and Horace was left with two horses, and like always, a hungry stomach.

Two hours later he looked up as he heard footsteps. Hs face grew pale as he saw who it was...

Certainly not Halt.

I AM A HUGE PAGE BREAK

Gilan sighed as he started packing up his tent. It was a whole week earlier than when he normally would have been doing so.

For some odd reason he had known that he wouldn't see the whole gathering. He had also somehow known that it was all going to go down hill.

And he could safely say that he had been right.

I wonder if Halt needs any help, Gil thought as he look around to make sure that he hadn't left anything behind.

'Gil!' a voice called him over to the group of younger rangers, the ones that he and Will would spend the most time talking to at each gathering.

'Yeah?' he asked. And scratched Blaze on the nose. In response the horse leaning into his touch.

'From all of us,' one of the group said and held out a brown packet.

'What's in it?' Gil asked.

'Just something to let him know that if need be, we would stand by him.' Gil nodded and walked over to place it in his saddle bags.

'Tell him we said hi!' someone called out.

'I plan to,' replied Gil. Then he turned to Blaze. 'As soon as we are out of here, we'll do the Rangers forced march.'

Blaze snorted a reply. And If I don't want to?

'You can talk to Tug and have as many oats as you want so long as we get there,' Gil promised Blaze. His horse seemed to contemplate the offer for a little while before agreeing to it.


	10. Chapter 10

'Who is hiding in the tree?' Halt heard a shrill voice start to question Horace. 'Is it this Halt you were calling out to earlier? Or were you telling them to Halt?'

Horace said nothing and answered her with death glares.

'Well then, I guess that I will just have to find your friend and ask him then wont I?' the woman said and turned around to where Halt was hiding.

'I certainly can't see you,' the woman said. 'I have never seen that spell before. Why don't we start off with telling each other's name? Mine is Alanna.'

Halt said nothing and trusted the cloak.

After watching the site he was standing for ten minutes the woman seemed to give up.

'You were just pulling on my leg, weren't you?!' she yelled at Horace. 'I was going to just simply kill you here, but now, for that, I am going to make you my personal slave. Just in time as well. My last one died yesterday.' She grinned and Horace found himself wincing.

Brilliant, he thought.

His captor turned her back away from him and started going through her bags, trying to find something, which Horace guess would put him in her service. As she did this though Horace tried to tell Halt to leave without him and, hopefully, come back later to rescue him from the homicidal megalomaniac who had the plus side of being a witch.

I AM A HUGE BREAK

'What's wrong?!' Pauline cried for the twelfth time that night. In response the child just started crying louder.

'I can't do anything if I don't know what is wrong!'

Will's daughter cried even louder.

Just as the noise rose to an unbearable level a knock was only just heard. Pauline used a phrase that she had learnt from Halt to open the door. It swung open to reveal Alyss.

'Apparently…' Alyss paused thinking. 'Apparently you are my old mentor.'

'I am,' Pauline smiled and welcomed them into her lounge room.

The little girl stopped crying and ran over to Alyss who jumped with shock.

'Mumma,' she sobbed. 'My teeth hurt!'

'What's going on?' Alyss asked Pauline.

'This is your daughter. Your son is in the other room,' she replied gently.

'Was I married?'

'Yes.'

'What happened? Where is he?'

Here Pauline paused for the tiniest amount. 'He is insane. He was tested soon after you were injured.'

'Where is he?' Alyss repeated her earlier question in shock.

'Castle Araluen.'

'He was one of those dark magic, evil rangers anyway,' Alyss doctor who had come with her muttered.

Pauline opened her mouth to reply but Alyss beat her to it.

'One, they do not use dark magic – there is no such thing.' (Pauline winced) 'Two, Will was not evil; he was a true hero and a person more pure of heart you will never meet.'

The three ladies froze.

'Will. His name was Will?' Alyss asked Pauline.

'Yes,' Pauline stated simply and smiled.

'What was he like? When he wasn't insane, I mean.' She continued.

'I don't remember a time when the two of you weren't together. When he used to get bullied, you helped him. When he ended up a hero, you still stayed beside him. It did take ages but the two of you finally admitted your love and got married.' She gestured towards the children.

Alyss just stood there absorbing all of the information before she started talking again. 'Can I see him?'

'He is all the way in Castle. It is safer for you to stay here with us until we know that it will not hurt you to ride that distance.'

'Is it possible for him to come here?' Alyss asked. Pauling smiled, even when she couldn't remember her life, she still held the same natural diplomacy.

'We will see. I have to talk to people about it first,' Pauline said and caved in.


	11. Chapter 11

Will sighed and sat down on the only chair in the room, he had received no visitors and was bored.

It was one room in Araluen. Will knew that he had been lucky. With no family to look after him, and his status as a Ranger, previous Ranger, he had been granted a room in the castle.

Not that it had taken him anywhere. It was locked at all hours of the day from the outside apart from when food was being brought to him and even then they had a guard follow him. There wasn't though, any of the chatting or a constant sense of work that you would normally receive in a castle.

Will looked around his room again. Because of his supposed insanity, no one had thought of getting him any books to read or any parchment to write on.

I'm not insane, Will felt like screaming out. But then he thought about it, the odds were greater that yelling that would prove his insanity.

He froze as the door was unlocked and slowly pushed open. Suddenly he fell out of the chair.

Will swore and started laughing only to find the other person in the room laughing with him.

'Gil!' he greeted with a huge smile on his face.

'Will!' greeted Gil back. 'How have you been?'

Will pretended to think about it for a second. 'Bored to Hell.'

'Anyone would if they were locked in this room like you have,' said Gilan. 'Is there anything to do here?'

'No. And you're the first person to visit as well,' Will explained..

Gilan sighed. 'The other Rangers wanted to come but Crowley wont let them.'

'Why not?' Will asked curious.

'Because he doesn't want you to influence the other Rangers.'

Will grunted in response and then sat upside down on his chair.

'Marvin tested positive for insanity, even without mentioning the mission.'

'Great,' replied Will. 'My only proof of insanity was insane as well and they still keep me in here?'

'Seems so,' Gil replied. 'Halt's left.'

Will sat up and started to let loose his famous long list of questions. 'Where? And what if he is considered insane'

'Then the Rangers would start going down,' Gilan replied darkly.

'Promise me that when you get to be head you will let me be a ranger again,' Will basically pleaded.

'Whoever said that I was going to be commander?'Gil replied.

Will shrugged and absent-mindedly played with the gold oak leaf on a chain.

'Can I see?'Gil asked and Will gave it over to him. I know its stupid to ask, but has there been any news on Alyss?' Will asked, his eyes hopeful. Gilan sighed in the knowledge that he was going to be the bearer of bad news.

Just don't make him kill the messenger, Gil thought. 'Crowley doesn't want to have anyone out to look for her attacker.'

Will's eyes glistened slightly before he nodded. 'I'm surprised that Crowley let you come.'

Gil grinned secretively. 'It was actually quite easy. But anyway, the other guys gave this to me to give to you.'

'What is it?' WIll asked as he picked up the package.

'I asked them but they just said that it was something to let you know that they are behind you.'

Now curious, Will opened it and grinned upon seeing a Ranger cloak, both knives, a silver oak leaf along with the double scabbard.

'I wonder how they got it,' Gil said in amazement.

'It wasn't that hard to do,' a new voice came into their conversation.

'Hi, Bruce,' (Because I was watching Monty Python, Bruce) Will said enthusiastically.

'Hi Will, Hi Gil,' he greeted. 'I see that you are not as insane as you have been portrayed to be.'

'Sometimes I wish I was just so that I would have something to do,' Will replied.

'Look on the hilt,' Bruce said randomly and Will complied with a confused frown. The frown turned into a grin once he saw his own personal stamp on the bottom of both knives and oak leaf.

Bruce grinned and suddenly trod hard on a spot on the floor.


	12. Chapter 12

Almost at once the wall slid away to show a target. Gilan and Will stood there with their mouths open in shock.

'How on earth?' Will said astounded.

'It is a secret that we all share, well everyone apart from Crowley,' said Bruce.

'I didn't know about it,' Gil said with a straight face.

'Well not that many people know about it because we haven't needed to use it in such a long time. Not many rangers have gone insane lately,' Bruce said and threw his throwing knife over his shoulder and straight into the target centre.

Will watched it with his mouth open and Gil just grinned. 'My turn!' he said and attempted the same thing. Will laughed as it missed a lot.

'I'll leave you both here to throw things. But remember, Will, always wear the gold oakleaf on your collar and the silver one under your tunic at your heart.

'Wait, why don't you think that I am insane?' Will asked suddenly as Bruce reached the door.

'Because I was stuck in here five years ago for the same reason,' Bruce replied and left the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Halt rode back to the nearest town swearing the whole way. He had come with muscle back up and now he had none. Darkness was coming and the day was getting progressively worse.

Will had been right all along. It was good news in the sense that he ex-apprentice wasn't insane, back because there was a witch floating around, possibly in the literal sense as well. Why couldn't Will have been confused with what he saw? Halt asked himself. Because then he would have stayed here longer to double check that everything was truly what he saw.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The next time Abelard saw Halt he snorted with laughter. What on earth had Halt done and why? This was absolutely ridiculous!

"I know it looks like I have gone made, but there was nothing else I could think of," Halt explained. Tug snorted in laughter again.

You look ridiculous.

"I know," Halt replied.

Halt was annoyed at the way his horse reacted to his normal civilian clothes. It wasn't as though he was in his Ranger uniform constantly. He did wear other things. And he did shave once in a while.

When was the last time? Abelard asked him as though he could hear inside Halt's head. The man opened his mouth to reply but then thought the better of it. The horse was right.

Halt walked back into the inn after properly getting Abelard ready for the night. He walked with his heavy gear up the two flights of steps to his already payed for room. It was smaller than usual and would most likely have bed bug there ready to suck his blood but it didn't matter. He was now on a rescue mission that had doubled in size from one persons sanity to two.

That and he doubted the witch would feed Horace enough.

The room held a table just large enough to hold Halt's map. Upon reaching the room he grabbed everything off the table and dumped it on the floor. Dust floated downwards from where it had been thrown into the air after being disturbed. Halt would have sneezed but he didn't have time for it so he didn't.

Each section of the map was opened up and then promptly rejected. Each ranger in the areas closest to him were of no use, either newly graduated or constantly uncivil towards him.

He growled in frustration and tried to refold the map back up. In his anger though he got the creases wrong and two corners met on the word Macindaw.


	14. Chapter 14

"I have good news!"

Alyss looked up from what she was reading to Pauline. Her old mentor was holding a letter up in the air looking happy.

"What is it?" Alyss asked after a respectable pause.

"Will is allowed to come to us. He is only allowed to go as far as the ranger cabin and he isn't allowed to enter the castle so you visits are going to be slightly uneven."

"But I still am allowed to see him?"

"Yes." Alyss smiled at the news and then looked up sharply.

"What's wrong?" Pauline asked, starting to get worried.

"I just remembered something..." Alyss trailed off, looking away at something only she could picture. Pauling paused waiting for her to continue.

"My attacker had a Hibernan (sp?) accent and said he bore a message from the royal family." Pauline sat down on a chair heavily, placed her head in her hands and thought for a moment. Either someone has a massive grudge against Will or something was wrong concerning Halt. It didn't matter which one it was really as both would lead to events with bad consequences.

"Is there anything else you can remember?" she asked Alyss whilst her head was still in her hand. There was an unknown silence for a long time however before it was able to fully develop, Pauline grew curious and looked up again.

Alyss was standing there with tears streaming down her face looking off into the distance out the window.

"What's wrong?" Pauline asked getting worried. The silence in the room was growing and her knowledge of that silence was that it could only get worse until it was eliminated.

"He said that I was to give a message to you. 'Say goodbye to Halt and Will. They won't last long. The royal family said hi.' And then they pushed me down the stairs." Pauline nodded at Alyss' statements and then drew the younger woman in towards her. It took a few minutes but eventually Alyss calmed down.


	15. Chapter 15

The constant ringing thud that filled the silence of the hall for retired rangers emanated from the room that will was currently residing in Gil found it rather amusing to watch the young ranger to throw his saxe almost constantly before going to retrieve it again. Not as though he didn't do it. It was a nice pattern. Thud. Walk. Walk. Walk. Walk Yank. Thud. Walk. Walk. Walk. Walk Yank. Thud… and so on.

"Will!" he called out suddenly. Will looked up and smiled at Gil. He stopped the repetitive pattern and sat down next to the person he considered a brother.

"I have to leave tomorrow," Gil said frowning. "Our insane commander has requested my presence back at my fief again. I can't really go against his stupid wishes."

"Fair enough. I just wish that you could stay, and I don't blame you. There is nothing to do in here.," Will explained. "I feel worse that I did coped up on Shorkital. (once again, sp?) I just hate it here!"

"I would hate it as well. But we are going to work out why Crowley's brain has gone haywire."

A knock at the door stopped their conversation. Will lept to his feet and his his weapons and oakleaf whilst Gil his the other things such as the targets.

"Come in!" Will called out to the person on the other side.

In walked the King.

Gilan nodded once to the king before walking out respectively. Will bowed at the same time.

"Don't bother Will. No one else is here and you are the best friend of my son -in-law as well as having served his country faithfully for many years."

Will nodded and still sat two seconds after the king out of respect.

"Have the other rangers given you your silver oakleaf back yet?" King Duncan asked. Will froze and then tried to cover up his mistake. A silence grew in the room as Will decided on the way to approach the conversation.

"They have," he said simply, offering no more information on the topic.

"I'm glad. It wasn't right for Crowley to have you declared insane and he should have known it. I just don't understand why he is acting as he is," the king said and rubbed his face with his hands. There were more wrinkles on his face than Will had ever realised and it was only just beginning to show now that everything was turning sour. Will didn't know, but King Duncan had been fighting against his officials in court who had decided that enough was enough and wanted to get rid of the Ranger Corps. He had asked them where the rangers would go but they hadn't cared about that aspect.

"On another slightly different note, how was the mission?"

"Why do you ask?" Will replied, still hesitant.

"I am curious," the king simply stated and didn't do anything. Will sighed and decided to tell how the mission had gone and all the events, leaving nothing out from his perspective.

It took two hours and as the sun crept lower in the sky, the king thought about what was occurring and decided that Will at least deserved to know the truth.

"It is just as I feared," he paused, "I know about the witch."

Will's mouth dropped open in shock and he looked away and rubbed his face before turning to the king again. When this day started, this had not been on his todo list. "How?"

"She was a large threat twenty years ago. All of the Rangers tried their hardest to find her and bring her back before she could do anymore damage. Everyone of them failed. Now that doesn't normally happen in the corps and it was a low blow to all of you. Eventually all of the rumors died down and she was forgotten. The rangers from that time however are constantly on the look out for her which is why you were sent. It was believed that you could deal with anything she threw at you, and you have! It just seems as though she has gotten a mole in the corps. This could be the thing bringing you down. If you can't be trusted with this then how can we trust you with our country's security."

Will just sat there stunned.


	16. Chapter 16

Alyss smiled at the young child in front of her leading the way to the dining hall. It was so sweet. Somewhere inside of her, she knew that there must have been an event to happen for everyone to be this accepting of her.

With a gasp the child was torn away from her grasp and Alyss felt herself thrown sideways. Just in time she managed to grab onto the railing preventing herself from flying down the stairs. The force however threw her into the top floor and her ankle broke. After letting out a little squeak of pain Alyss pulled herself back up.

She slowly raised her eyes up to the level of her attackers when her sight cleared again to see him drop the little girl to the floor. Alyss let out a small scream and dragged herself forwards to where the body lay. She checked for a pulse and found none. There was no life left in the girl.

The man smirked at her and then nodded. Just as Alyss took this opportunity to open her mouth to start shrieking her lungs out.

As she did so a man who had hid behind her, hit Alyss over her head and threw her down the stairs.

It was two hours later when a person next found the need to use the stairs and unfortunately for the poor maid, she came across the childs body as well as Alyss' down the bottom of the stairs. She let out an ear piercing scream and ran away from the scene of the crime right into Gilan. The poor woman bowled the unsuspecting man over and they both went tumbling to the ground. Gil couldn't help but let out an interesting word in response.

Then he saw the woman's face.

"Are you alright?" he asked quickly. She shook her head.

"There has been two murders!" she said as she pointed behind her. As Gil looked in that direction, the woman took off again, not really telling him where she found the bodies. Once again Gil let out his annoyance through his choice of words .

The corridor that he ran down had little natural light available and what light there was provided by a dying torch.

Gilan reached the top landing of the stairs and found the broken girls body. He muttered a curse upon those who hurt children when he realised she was dead. Next Gil searched for the other person mentioned. He was about to give up and just deal with the little girl when he realised he was at the top of a stairway that had been over looked in the low light. Slowly Gil walked to the bottom and found Alyss.

His first response was to yell out her name as he rushed towards her. Next he checked for a pulse as he mentally apologised to Will and was relieved to find one. He picked up her limp body and ran to the infirmary. It was now fairly obvious that someone was targeting her.


	17. Chapter 17

With a frown the ranger commander walked down the many corridors in Castle Araluen to reach his horse. The castle was starting to become too mainstream for him and it was time to move to a new and improved spot, one more suited to where she could reach him, which was the main reason why he wanted to move.

It had been a four day trip to the gathering grounds when you included the miniature stopovers to visit the rangers in the fiefs that he travelled through. It was only polite to see them if he had time and he normally didn't so the gullible had thought it a pleasant surprise. Others however hadn't been too sure that their encounter with Crowley was all that right.

The rangers used sarcasm and not intimidation in normal conversations, didn't they?

There was now no smile on the older man's face as he inspected every aspect of their lives, and the corps could do nothing right apparently! If there was one spec of dust he commented that the whole cabin was dirty and that it had better be in shape by the time he came around again, of course suggesting without actually saying it, that the random appearances were going to become regular things.

Crowley had turned hard and no one had known the reason why. Many speculated that it he had finally lost the plot and others said the recent stress of losing a few of his rangers (especially the more famous and useful ones), was the cause.

No one could take it anymore.

The rangers with some sense left in them after the sudden chaos of life, organised a new, secret meeting place that not even the commander knew of. There they discussed important things, like who made the best dinners and what was really up with their commander.

"He never laughs or even smiles!" said one.

"I have no clue what happened to trigger this all!" said another.

"He just isn't nice anymore!"

"Quiet!" suddenly screamed out Liam over the top of everyone's voices. He was one of the few rangers with a slightly higher standing than the rest at least in the old system.

"We have to work out a new system of order. One where a single person doesn't have complete power over anything," said Bill. He was a quiet person, full of insight and wisdom. The other rangers found that he knew what he was talking about when he mentioned it, and if it wasn't important enough to be told, then it wasn't important enough to have a place in the conversation.

"What is that going to do to our missions then?" asked ranger 36.

"You will simply need more than one person to agree that it is necessary," he replied, unfazed. "How many people do you want as your leaders?"

"Four!" someone at the back yelled helpfully when there was a long silence.

"Does everyone agree to this number?" Bill asked. Pretty much everyone nodded. "Who are these people going to be then?"

"You!" the same person as before yelled out. Without prompting the others nodded.

"Liam!" ranger 12, standing at the front said. There was more hesitation as the corps mentally worked out how the two people suggested would work together and then who else would complete the four, but everyone soon agreed.

"Halt!" said one of the recently graduated apprentices. He had graduated just when the arguments had broken out and so hadn't really gotten to know what the corps was like during peace (which was most of the time).

Murmuring started from the older members present. The younger ones seemed to enjoy the idea but the elders realised what a risk it could be.

"We will decided on if he is to become a leader after receiving more names," Bill called out, desperate to hurry this thing along. If the rangers wanted to, he knew that they could stall even the most stubborn prison guards.

"Li!" ranger 26 called out. Li wasn't in Crowley's close circle of advisors but had been lined up for it if anyone had been killed on a mission. The call out had gotten a cheer from the younger rangers who were all his friends.

"We need one more person," Bill said.

"Gilan!" some random yelled. Everyone froze. Gil had been close to Crowley and it was feared that he might spill. In fact, he hadn't even been told of the new meeting for that sake. He was also too close to the case of Will going insane and Halt disappearing.

Liam thought for a moment alongside everyone else and nodded. "He is the right person."

"Are we all in agreeance with Liam, Halt, Gilan and myself being the new representatives of the ranger corps?" Bill asked finally. There was a single nod from everyone. It was well known that a ranger's life was never easy.


	18. Chapter 18

Halt sighed and scratched at places he probably shouldn't be scratching. He was in commoners gear and it was scratching him to no end. His precious ranger clothes (that hadn't been precious to him until now) had gotten destroyed in a fire that he had suspected the witch had set against him.

So he had borrowed without permission or knowledge, someone else's things.

At the moment he was waiting in a bush, pretending not to exist and listening in on a conversation. It was just the villagers, who had started to get used to his presence and oddities, but they were talking about the witch.

Who was now joining in on the conversation. With Horace.

"Has the odd ranger left yet?" she asked, seemingly not realising that he was actually in the bushes.

"Not yet, I don't believe it will be long though. He has seemed to give up on the idea of finding out what 'sent' the younger ranger mad," the first villager replied.

"Are we talking about the one that has brown eyes and hair and is actually really short?" the witch said. Horace stood in the background trying his best to keep his interested look away from his face but was failing. I have to teach him how to do that properly, Halt thought. Change that, I might as well teach him the basic ranger abilities he is going to need. Poor boy married Cassandra and is now going to have to cope with being king, that and he is the oakleaf warrior.

"Quick! The head man is coming!" the second villager said and quickly shifted around until he was hidden in a bush opposite to Halt, pretty much doing the exact same thing. The difference, Halt liked to think, was that the rangers were even more skilled and weren't seen or known about.

The head man walked over and nodded towards the witch, the man beside her and the man in the bush opposite Halt. Thankfully, not Halt.

"Our crops are failing," He said suddenly, breaking the nervous silence that had been about the come to breaking point.

"That isn't my problem. It is the problem of your incompetent farmers,"she added back with a straight face without pause. The gears started to turn in Halt's head. This district was well known for its bountiful harvests and every time someone new tried to join in the harvest with a new property, they always were found two weeks later in the closest river of their home town. It was one of the things that the rangers had planned to started gathering information on soon, but they didn't want to risk anyone… change that, why had Will been here anyway?

The headman started to shift sideways nervously. He wanted to get his village richer and this was the way that he could see it happening. The richer everyone else was, the higher the taxes were, even if the percentage didn't change, the amount that they were able to contribute towards that percentage did. The money all went to him and at the moment his family were doing rather well from previous harvests.

"Is there anything more you can do?"

"Nothing that I feel as though you deserve. After all, you brought the rangers on my case."

"I promise that they will go away, we all just have to lie low for a while."

"I don't want to do that," the witch finished then walked off, head high. Horace stood there shocked. She had just forgotten about him?

"Come!" the command echoed through the trees at Horace and due to the spell on him, he was forced to obey.

Halt and the headman watched as the evil witch walked off with Horace, both thinking nearly the same thing, but not knowing the other was.

As soon as she had disappeared from sight, Halt emerged from his spot in the bushes. The headman jumped comically into the air and did a little drance of fright up there before coming back down again.

"What are you doing here? Where did you just come from? How much did you hear? Are you going to tell anyone? If so, who and what are they going to do? I swear if this goes anywhere I had no clue about anything the whole time!" he said quickly.

Well that's the incriminating evidence right there!" Halt thought to himself with a frown. "Why are you working with the witch?"

"I don't have to tell you anything!" he said panicking.

"Yes you do. I am a king's ranger. Out of uniform, yes, but one all the same," Halt snarled.

"No you're not. You don't look like one. If you are then what are you going to do to make me tell? Hah? I don't have to tell you anything. I don't believe in the magic you practice. The witch says you have to believe in the magic to see it work and happen," he said.

Halt nearly slapped him, but he was getting good, convicting evidence.

The conversation continued for a moment more, Halt getting more and more annoyed by the minute.

He wasn't the one to throw the first punch though, the headman was...


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise that it appears that this chapter was posted before the others but have no fear, it wasn't. I posted everything else on ff.net but that doesn't record when each chapter is uploaded so I don't know when anything else was done except for this chapter. 
> 
> But have fun reading anyway

Horace paused from scrubbing the pots in the nearest river to examine it. The thing must have been twice as old as he was, (and it wasn't as though he was a teen anymore) and looked to be twice that. He was forced to wonder what the witch's last slave had died of, if she even had one…

He finally managed to get it to a slightly better shape where he could almost make out the outline of his reflection before moving onto the next pot. How many pots could one person have?! This was, to be rather frank, bullshit. And the woman's house was tiny as well. Horace had no clue as to where the insane lady put everything. He theorised that she must use her magic to conjure up more pots for him to wash just to keep him working and busy.

As Horace paused for a moment to look at the rushing river he was seized by a memory of a long time ago. One that appeared to be in a different life. In this memory he was sitting on the bank of another river, similar to the one he was currently next to. The moment was more peaceful however. He had been doing nothing in particular, particularly pulling at the grass. Will had been beside him with three pots, all which had been scrubbed not that long earlier.

"Won't he get annoyed that you are taking this long?" he remembers asking, worried that his small friend would get in trouble for taking a moment to talk and relax.

"Nah. He only gives me small jobs now anyway. I mean, I do all of the major ones automatically pretty much as soon as I get up to get them out of the road. He told me to stay and talk to you today actually," Will had responded looking down the river in the opposite direction to where Horace was sitting.

Horace could see that no matter how hard Will was trying to hide it, he was worried about completing his apprenticeship. After all, having a whole fief for yourself to look after was a large responsibility, one that Horace had many times been thankful wasn't going to end up his. These moments in Redmont was practically all Will had ever really known. The missions had occurred but they had always returned to this same point, and now he wouldn't.

"I am able to come and visit, you know," he had responded, now ignoring this issue of what Halt was going to think now that it had been slightly resolved.

"I know. It… Just… Everything is going to change now. We won't always be able to just organise a time and have a friendly spar, or even just to sit here on the grass by a river. I actually have to do work." The last part had been said with a grin.

"What are you talking about. You are always complaining about the amount of chores that you are told to do and how you swear they aren't possible to complete in the time Halt gives you!"

"You know how I just complain because I can," Will had finished.

Horace had shaken his head and looked down at the clean pots beside the best friends. "You won't even allow me to help you in moments like this! I mean I could have done some."

Will had looked over and shrugged. He knew that Halt needed done to a certain standard and Horace wasn't used to that, not implying he was lazy. If they werent done in the same way as normal, Halt would start to wonder if he was slacking off, and that was not something Will needed this close to finishing.

Horace was drawn from his reminiscing by a sharp zap. He swore then picked up the next filthy pot to begin on. The witch had somehow managed to do something so that would happen everytime he stopped working for a long enough time. It was one of the reasons why he hadn't just left yet, that and the fact that if he got too far away then he suddenly found himself unable to walk.

With a loud sigh he just continued scrubbing, now understanding why Will had complained so often.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response I got from the last chapter was amazing! I never expected that much after not updating that long. 
> 
> Oh.. and it was 35 degrees celsius...
> 
> And I have to apologise beforehand. My sentences and just english in general today feel horrible. I am so sorry if this is cringe worthy.

Will was broken from his long period of boredom by a knock on the door. He sat up straight, stopped acting like he was insane in the hope that it was another ranger and answered with a ‘come in’. To his own sorrow it wasn’t another ranger waiting on the other side of the door to release him and allow him to go back to Alyss, instead three knights came barrelling him and manhandled Will to the door. 

“Why do you feel the need to drag me to the door as though I was some large criminal accused to treason against the king?’ he asked and allowed himself to be pulled along. The knights remained silent and continued in their job. Will was starting to wish that Horace was here, at least he would have had a decent conversation as he was being dragged willing down a hall. 

Strangely enough the odd group didn’t pass anyone as they travelled through the normally bustling castle. There was a sense of baited breath and as a ranger, this made Will nervous. They turned down multiple corridors until everything started to make sense and Will realised that he wasn’t being sent to talk to Crowley somewhere where they were able to restrain him just in case his “crazed” mind went walking, instead they took him outside. 

It was when they reached the stables that Will started panicking. He thrashed around for a moment before admitting that even though he knew he was skilled at fighting, having two no brain, bashers, who constituted of all brawn and no brain, he wasn’t going to win. Especially when there was a third walking close by. 

“Where are you taking me?” Will attempted to ask them. 

No response.

“Do you know who I am? I’m Will Treaty! Why are you taking me places?” he quickly said, half to get the knight’s attention, half in the hope that someone nearby who might not be able to see what was going on but could hear, would intervene. 

Two minutes and they continued dragging him without a response. 

Will gave up and slumped down. If they were going to drag him somewhere and not answer any of his questions, he might as well make their job harder, it wasn’t as though he was a prisoner of war and was likely to get in trouble if he didn’t cooperate.

They reached the stables and let Will stand up by himself. Thankful for the small reprieve, he got up off the floor and started walking over to Tug to get him ready. 

“No.”

It was the first thing he heard the knights say and it stumped him for a moment before he continued. 

“No. You are to use this horse,” the knight continued and point to a horse to his left. Will cast one more longing look at Tug before walking over to the other horse. 

This is going to be a challenge. I learnt to ride on a ranger horse. I hope we aren’t going far, Will thought as Tug neighed in confusion in the background.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was just exploring the login section of fanfiction.net and found out (actually I knew it before but never really bothered) that you can read the reviews that you gave once upon a time. It records your latest 300 reviews and so, being curious I went down and looked at the earliest review there.
> 
> I was disappointed to note that it was from 2011.
> 
> Having only reviewed 30 times last year, I have decided that it was a selfish wish to ask for more people reviewing my stories when I spend most of my time not reviewing myself. So instead I have decided to work on something this year.
> 
> I am going to review what I read. I understand that there are a lot of people who already do this and have committed to review everything they read, but I am wanting to take it one step further.
> 
> For every person who reviews on my stories, I am willing to review one of theirs (obviously there are limitations such as anon reviewers and those without stories). This is going to be my thing now and I expect people to hold me to it :)
> 
> Don’t be afraid to review and then later on comment on how I haven't review yet.


	21. Chapter 21

“I just don’t know what to do. As much as I think it would be appropriate for it, I can’t stay here constantly making sure there are no more attacks after all, the whole of the corps aren’t doing too well either,” Alyss heard someone say to another mystery person upon waking up. Her curiosity piked, she stopped attempting to get into a more comfortable seating position and listened quietly. 

“I can manage to have three of my knights guarding her at all times, any more than that and people will start to wonder. After all, she is a courier and it is part of their jobs descript-” the other, unknown person finally said before being interrupted by the first. 

“I know. It is part of my job description as well. Do you think I don’t get that? It’s just I’m asking this as a favour to Will. It will break his soul to find out that there were attacks on her, let alone us not doing anything.”

Two minutes later, without any more talking being heard, there were footsteps leading away. Even through the door that separated Alyss and the mysterious people, she was still able to feel the tension that amounted. Hardly daring to breathe during the conversation she now did as she pondered what exactly was going on. 

Then Gilan walked into the room.

“How do you feel?” he asked gently as he came to sit down beside her bed on the chair provided. She allowed him to sit down before responding, noticing the tender way he lowered himself into the chair and appeared to sigh with the relief and pain that alway arose after a long period of stress and physical exertion combined. 

“Fine. You can leave if you have to solve this ‘corps’ thing,” she stated with a brave face. Gilan smiled at her softly, sadly, as though he believed she was delusional. He shifted to get into a more comfortable position, bringing his feet up so that the soles didn’t touch the floor and leaning forwards so that his hands were linked together and his elbows leaning on her bed. 

“You only feel alright because of the painkillers you’re on. You have a broken ankle, a few broken ribs and a nasty dent in the head,” He replied. Gil looked down at his hands for a moment before glancing back up at the woman he had come to know as his adopted sister-in-law. 

“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted softly. Alyss gave a small, sad, smile at him and covered his hands with one of her own. 

“Whatever you do end up doing I have full faith that it will be the right thing.”

“It’s just…. Crowley and Halt built the corps up from nothing. There was nothing there at all! Just 12 people. But now it appears as though he is attempting to pull it back down again. But he was elected back then and if I go against his orders then I am seen as the rebellious one by everyone. I mean we can all see what he is doing but-”

“I understand,” Alyss said softly, having seen a similar reaction before in her husband. “The Rangers all feel a fierce loyalty to their commander, now you have to possibly go against this, gaining to distrust of the others that you had worked so hard to gain.”

Gilan sighed in relief. His father hadn’t understood and out of the other people he would turn to, one was ‘insane’ and the other was off on some apparent hair-brained mission. For the first time in his life, he felt as though he didn’t have anyone to lean on and it scared him. The secrets of the crops he could always talk about with Halt, Crowley and Will. If he had to he was able to talk about them to his father. There was never just no one. This time however…

It was an internal corps matter. No one outside of it who didn’t know about it needed to know, it would be better to continue the appearance. The King was involved but only vaguely and now, there was no one. He was even afraid to say something to Jenny just in case she was targeted. 

“Thank you.”

“I did nothing. I am just attempting to see the situation the way you have.”

“No. No one else understands the fact that I can’t just go against my commander that way, no matter how insane he appears to be.”

There was another pause. 

“I’m meant to be in my fief right now,” Gil muttered and this time took to looking out of the window. Alyss shifted slightly at the knowledge that in a small way Gil was going against orders, and winced as she felt the pull of all of her injuries. 

Both of their heads snapped up as the door to the room was slowly opened to reveal the healer who gave a small bow to the two. 

“Am I able to check Mistress Treaty’s wounds?” she asked gently. Gil nodded and looked back at the courier. 

“See you again some time?”

“If I make it beyond all of these attacks first,” Alyss replied jokingly. 

“I don’t know. I think it’s going to be a close race to see which of us gets told off first,” Gil joked, nodded to the healer then walked out of the room. As soon as he had done so the smile dropped off Alyss’ face. 

“Is life ever going to be more than this?” she asked with tears starting to appear in her eyes. 

“I’m sure it will be, Mistress. Its just the herbs making you feel more emotional than normal.”

Alyss nodded thoughtfully and did as she was asked in between looking out of the window. As she watched Gil flew away on Blaze. She noted with a smile that he wasn’t going the direction of the next fief where he was meant to be, he was heading towards the small cabin in the trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~*~
> 
> So that was done. 
> 
> And I have read the book!! I loved it and laughed at it constantly. Best part was that I bought it from a stall at a medieval fair and then walking around and got it signed straight away :)
> 
> John Flanagan probably thought I was the biggest weirdo ever but I didn’t care. After all, he has been my favourite author for a long, long time now and I was so excited to see him. 
> 
> My sister who was next to me frankly couldn’t have cared less. 
> 
> But I did and that’s all that matters. 
> 
> So I got home, sat down and just read the book. I didn’t get up for anything and just sat there. To the point that I handed in an assignment late because I was so determined to read it :)
> 
> Oh well. The assignment was only worth 40% of my grade…
> 
> Alyss Mainwaring
> 
> (Making no promises as to when the next update will be because I know I wont keep them…. XD)


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to Aubrey Cortez, who reviewed as I was writing this chapter XD

There was a tension in the air. It wasn't from the beginnings of a fight but rather from a group of 59 people standing as still as they were able to, not breathing, waiting.

One person walked up and down the lines that the mass had quickly and hesitantly arranged themselves in. The front row on the left held the higher up members and as the line went down so the numbers grew bigger. The way that they had lined up, you would think that it was a common occurrence for the lines to be needed when in fact it was the first time ever that this had happened.

"What is going on?!" one of the higher up members snapped as the single man got to him on his inspections.

"Your saxe being not looked after is what's going on!" was yelled back. As the man looked down in confusion, having never been told off for such a thing, even when he was an apprentice he felt something fly at his head from the top.

The next thing he knew was nothing.

From further down in the first line out of three Gil tried not to flinch or let the tears that were threatening out. Crowley had just struck one of his most trusted advisors, leaving the man sprawled in the dirt. With a blow like that it was a hard thing to know from his position if the man was still alive or not.

Blood suddenly filled his mouth and Gil realised that he had been biting the inside of his lip anxiously.

In an act that was typically the opposite to the norm, none of the rangers assembled moved to help the poor man.

Quickly Gil looked either side of him and noticed that most of the Rangers had closed their eyes.

"I'll be conducting an assessment of the Corps. I believe that they are slacking. Those who I deem not suitable will be receiving a notification of the fact soon!" Crowley called out.

There was a pause and Gil swore that he could hear the 58 beating hearts. He still wasn't too certain about the guy on the floor.

Quickly he abandoned his thoughts and remained with his eyes looking forwards as Crowley started walking down the rows again. As the once loved commander walked all of the rangers were careful to keep their eyes forwards and to not look at him. This time, no one questioned it.

Upon reaching Gil, Crowley's eyes narrowed.

He stopped.

Gil held his breath.

The pregnant pause grew longer and Gil was starting to wonder how long he could hold his breath for.

Crowley continued walking.

It was noticed by all that Crowley didn't stop in front of any one else much to their relief. Occasionally he was slow to a point of nearly stopping but then at the last moment continue on faster than before. Curiosity getting the best of him Gil tried to remember all of the names that Crowley had stopped in front of. Odds were that he was going to be the second one dismissed, only after the senior Ranger, who still hadn't moved to everyone's apparent worry, and he wanted to know if the people Crowley slowed for were going to be the others.

Was there a pattern to this madness?

Crowley stopped in front of the apprentices. All of them. Not just one in particular. This year there were two first years, a second year and a fourth year. Joseph, Joshua, Dylan and Austin.

The Ranger Corps tensed, ready to pounce on Crowley if he so much as threatened a hair on the apprentices' heads.

"You are the first to go. After leaving the grounds here you are dismissed and should go home to your families. If I hear word of you leaking any of the secrets there will be drastic consequences."

"May I enquire as to why?" Austin the fourth year asked bravely. Every muscle in his body was visibly tensed in preparation for dodging a blow. As he was a fourth year he was standing the closest to the graduated rangers with Harrison being next to him as number 49. 50 obviously being Will who hadn't been invited.

"You aren't needed. We don't need 50 rangers to cover the whole of Araluen," Crowley snapped back and then walked back to his grand tent in the middle of the grounds.

As one the rangers relaxed. The senior rangers knelt beside Leander and quickly conducted first aid. Large circles started to surround the group and once again tension started mounting.

"Just knocked out. Don't know anything for certain until he comes around but until then…" Egon trailed off. Leander was a close friend of his as well as Crowley. His mind went back to a long time ago when a small group of rangers voted on Crowley as their leader. For the first time since, he wondered if their decision was right.

Farrel looked up at the group frowning. This was his home. These were his brothers and had been now for a long time.

"Gil will be our unofficial leader" he said, making sure his voice wouldn't carry to Crowley's tent.

"Aye."

"Aye."

"Aye."

"Aye," came a faint voice from on the ground. Leander had no clue what was going on but had heard this last thing Farrel had said and trusted his judgement.

Farrel looked down at Leander and nodded, glad to see that there wasn't any permanent damage to his friend.

"Where will be your base of operations?" he asked Gil who was standing there looking like a stunned fish.

"Redmont. Halt's cabin," he finally managed to stumble out. Farrel nodded.

"Redmont is a safe place. The apprentices will go with you. Also anyone who is thrown out of the corps, don't tell anyone where you are going, but quietly head there as well. Avoid main roads, we don't want many people to know that a large mass of Ranger's are on the move."

"Why aren't you leader?" Gil asked Farrel.

"Because, you need someone young to get into the fierce battles. I'm getting too old for this shit," Farrel replied bluntly.

"Speak for yourself!" Egon replied.

"Well technically Egon is the oldest but Berrigan-"

"Not literally, Norris!"

The senior rangers all groaned good naturedly but Gil was too much in shock to do anything further.

Everything suddenly grew quiet. Crowley appeared in the circle next to Gil who was very decidedly keeping his eyes straight to not give anything away.

"The meeting is over. Leave the grounds," Crowley ordered before walking off.

Half of the Rangers hadn't gotten around to setting up their tents yet and so it was easy for them to escape the fray. Everyone set about trying to get out of the camp as easily as possible, leading to a certain sense of carelessness. Normally the Rangers would be careful to cover their tracks to make sure the grounds were noticed, at the point none of them could care.

Those who hadn't unpack went around packing someone else's things before moving onto the next person. In this way all of the rangers were finished in half an hour, the fastest that they had ever decamped. Of course when they were on missions it was faster, but at the gathering grounds all of the rangers set up their things planned for a solid stay and so there were fire pits that had to be filled and stones scattered. The practice range also had to be taken down, taking the most time and four rangers.

But the main thing with the way it was all done was that it was silent. Even the horses could sense the wrongness and had stopped talking to each other.

The first people to finish packing up where Farrel and Gilan. Each having two other rangers to help. The two spent the next 25 minutes attending to Leander's things very slowly. Farrel was telling Gil all about what was expected of him in his temporary position and every now and then none of the other rangers would come over and ask for something to do next to do.

Just as they were all leaving again as one large group, once again completely against the normal thing to do, Crowley appeared again. From somewhere in the crowd there was a groan.

Crowley's head snapped towards the source and only after he had done so, everyone else did as well. Only to find Gil looking at Blaze in complete horror.

"Did you have to?" he asked his horse. Crowley's eyes narrowed.

"Gilan, I expect you to return to your fief. There is nothing you can do for Alyss right now. Do not go to Redmont."

Again for the millionth time that day Gil was aware of all of the rangers' held breaths.

"Who will be assigned to Redmont then? Surely such a large and notable fief needs a ranger," Farrel noted.

"That information will be alongside that of the proscriptions," Crowley replied and walked off.

Together as one the rest of the Corps rode off.

~*~

"Lead the way Gil," Farrel muttered as the corps turned around the first bend away from the gathering grounds. Gil looked back at him confused. "In this confusion and unknown territory people need someone who they can look at to solve this 'bumbling along' that we appear to be doing."

Gil sighed and turned to face the group. They really are nothing like my father's knights when they ride together, he thought.

"Right! Listen up!" he called to no success. He gave a helpless look to Farrel and received a raised eyebrow in return. Oh Gorlog's beard. It's like being an apprentice to Halt all over again. When in truth Farrel was mimicking what he knew Halt was like to his apprentices as he knew the reaction it would cause in Gil.

"BAND OF HEADLESS, DANGEROUS CHICKENS! LISTEN UP!" Gil yelled and the talking strangely stopped in the middle of words.

"I need everyone to go back to their fiefs and pretend nothing has happened. I will be in Redmont if you need me, hating on the amount of paperwork I know is going to be due after this all. If you are placed on the proscription list travel to the cabin there. I will set about clearing the trees behind the cabin to accommodate placing tents there. I suspect that everyone Crowley slowed down for will be targeted so be prepared. Make no fuss and go quietly. We can't let word get out of what we are doing so avoid the village at Redmont at all costs especially. The apprentices will come with me straight away as well as anyone here who has the gold oak leaf."

Gil nodded once and then rode off, the others letting him through until he went from the middle of the procession the the front.

**He was the Ranger Commandant. ******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. 1839 words. That's definitely the longest chapter of this story and I am amazed.
> 
> It was too much fun to write.
> 
> And if anyone wants to talk to me about the latest RA book awesome! I have read it, just so long as you try not to spoil anything for anyone else in the review you will kindly leave me.
> 
> *hint hint*
> 
> It was so funny. As I watched and wrote this (which has taken me longer than it should because I actually wrote another fic in the middle of it), my hits for my stories went from 60 - 98 - 112 - 117 - 133 - 137 - 138 - 140. If I mathed right (which I do occasionally), it more than doubled! Makes me so happy considering I recently moved out and have been feeling lonely right now.
> 
> XD
> 
> Alyss Mainwaring


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